[1] It is a subspecies of the southern rockhopper penguin (Eudyptes chrysocome) found in subantarctic regions and the Indian Ocean.

[3] It has a thin yellow stripe that stretches from its lower forehead, over its red eye and splits into crest feathers at the back of its head.

[1] They develop a brown-orange bill that is darker than the adult coloring and have small yellow crest feathers.

[2] These subspecies differ mainly in their distribution; the western species is found in Cape Horn, South America and the Falkland Islands while its eastern counterpart occupies the Southern Indian and Pacific Ocean.

[5] Eastern rockhopper penguins are surface nesters and will build their nest on slopes or rocky shores near the coastline.

[1] Some colonies have settled within grasslands such as tussock, however the soil often erodes down to rock with the accumulation of guano and trampling over a few decades.

[1] Eastern rockhopper penguins are rarely found more than 200 meters away from the coastline, since it is ideal to remain near their food supply.

Eastern rockhopper penguins feed on a variety of fish, crustaceans and cephalopods such as krill and squid.

[5] During their pre-moult season, eastern rockhopper penguins mainly consume crustaceans, while during the breeding period their diet heavily relies on euphausiids in the Marion islands.

[5] Different breeding location will also impact their diet; chicks in the Campbell island were found to mainly consume dwarf cod.

[9] Rockhopper penguins highly depend on a predictable food source near their nesting habitat to feed their chicks.

[3] As well, brown skuas (Stercorarius antarcticus) and northern giant petrel (Macronectes halli) prey on rockhopper penguin eggs and chicks.

[1] A creche is a common occurrence in bird species when the juveniles form protective groups to allow the parents to forage.

[3] The eastern rockhopper penguin is considered a vulnerable species due to rapid population declines.

[3] Low food quality and abundance in wintering regions have also led to an increase in adult mortality.

"Population dynamics of Eastern Rockhopper Penguins on Campbell Island in relation to sea surface temperature 1942-2012: current warming hiatus pauses a long-term decline".